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Backgrounds
Backgrounds can be found in all the World of Darkness books and no few of those backgrounds can be found here. Some of them translate easily to Elohim, some have to be modified, and some just don’t work. No Elohim can have the Generation background from Vampire, or the Pure Blood of Werewolf, no matter how much the Player tries to sell it. Ultimately - Storyteller logic is the key to a good game. Below are a few Backgrounds available to the Elohim. At Character Creation, each character begins with 5 points to allocate as they see fit. Charges The Elohim is particularly close to a certain Mortal (or Otherwise) who may or may not be aware the Elohim’s true nature, but does understand that it’s something special – regarding them as a special being, perhaps even a shaman, a Monk, or the like. The Charges act as friends, guardians, (Ironic isn’t it?) and guides while the Elohim is Dirt-Side. In return, the Elohim will aid and counsel them as well as they can without breaking the Tenets. Although they aren't under direct control, they'll usually follow the Elohim’s direction, since they appreciate that the Elohim is more than appearances reveal. In addition, Interacting with Charges allows for more Mission points. The Elohim is particularly close to a certain Mortal (or Otherwise) who may or may not be aware The Elohim’s True Nature, but understand it’s something special – regarding them as a special being, perhaps even a shaman, a Monk, or the like. The Charges act as friends, guardians, (Ironic isn’t it?) and guides while the Elohim is Dirt-Side. In return, the Elohim will aid and counsel them as well they can without breaking the Tenets. Although they aren't under direct control, they'll usually follow the Elohim’s direction, since they appreciate that the Elohim is more than appearances reveal. In addition, Interacting with Charges allows for more Mission points. Fount It's hard for Elohim, let alone mortals, to figure out which places of worship are “Right.” While no answers are forthcoming, some places Dirt-side provide more Faith than others. These areas are called Founts and provide succor, rest, and much-needed downtime for the Angels. Maybe the Church was built where an Angel once cried tears of happiness. Or maybe the devoted attention of the parishioners filled the area with Faith. It could be that the land itself belongs to the Werewolves, and they worship their Spiritual Mother there nightly. It should also be noted that size doesn’t always matter. A Texas Super-Church that holds 5000+ people might not wield the same Faith as a backwoods cottage in the Appalachians where Ma and Pa read the Good Book nightly. A small orange rock dedicated to Hanuman the Monkey King on a dirt road in India could produce more than one might think. Religion also plays little part in this, as the Pagan-tinged chants of the werewolves empower their hidden cairns with sweet, sweet Faith. Fervor and understanding of the Devoted matter more than size or numbers ever could. The trait rating determines the overall power of the site -- including the Faith Points produced per day. (bear in mind that Faith isn’t glamour, quintessence, gnosis, or otherwise. No Mage can tap into such fonts of Faith, just as no Elohim can convert a Werewolf’s gnosis to Faith. Such areas are a matter of devotion, not magic). Library Card The Great Library of the Silver City is a storehouse of the Universe’s collected knowledge. Every book that has ever been written. Every book that hasn’t been written. Every mortal’s darkest secret, hopes, dream, fear are all laid open to those who know how to look. With this Background, the Elohim has access to this great wealth of information, though it should be stated that access is very hard to come by. Even the highest ranking of Archons is still at the mercy of the many Celestial Librarians who work in these great halls. Underneath Saraquel - The Archangel Prince of Knowledge, Secrets, and the Spheres - the Librarians maintain security and propriety almost militant in scope. If permission is granted, then any obscure knowledge may be searched for with a suitable Mental attribute + Library Card roll. However, it must be stressed again that the Library isn't open to just any Angel and those with this Background may be asked to help maintain the Celestial Tomes now and again. Name "Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand." Revelations 5:11. There are a lot of Angels... so many out there, that it is easy to be overlooked. But for the Elohim with this background, your Celestial Fame precedes you. Any time the situation arises where someone (on Earth, or in the Silver City) may recognize the Elohim, the Storyteller rolls their Intelligence + the Elohim’s level of Name against a difficulty of 7. * One success means they recognize the Elohim as a badass, but may not know their name. * Three successes and they know the names of those Demons busted by the Elohim and may fear, hate, or even idolize the Elohim. This can go both ways, however, as some mortals may set up cults around the Elohim. Some upstart Mortals in the business of summoning can use the level of Name in their rituals…. Caveat emptor. Patron The Elohim has a boss, a mentor, or a friend upstairs. This Friend is a higher rank than the Elohim and has some sway with others of that Rank. The Patron may not be from the same House, or even the same Banner, but he looks favorably upon the lower-ranking Elohim and offers advice. He checks in from time to time just to ensure that things are going well. If the Elohim needs, some strings can be pulled. Relic Relics are those Celestial items full of Heavenly might that are forged by the Devices, and bequeathed to those Elohim worthy enow to wield them. This Background Trait allows an Elohim to begin play with an Relic already in possession. Any Elohim who chooses the Relic Background must create (in conjunction with the Storyteller) a story reasonably explaining why the Relic is special, who made it, and why. Ultimately the player and the Storyteller should create something special and together should determine the item's value. Each Relic wields certain levels of Essence Paths, spends its own Faith, and performs its own miracles. For instance: an intricate hammer of Purest Iron that utilizes Essence Path of the Soil Level 2: Earth’s Spoils. This would make it a Level 1 Relic. At first it may appear as an unassuming piece of flint: dark black and no bigger than your fist. But, when held to the bare earth, it will call forth its true form: that of a glowing blueish black Hammer heavier than any weapon should be and twice as deadly. It would cost one point of Faith to activate this power, and the Relic itself only bears 3 points. It would be good for tricky, sticky situations involving an Angel with no other means to protect itself. The Sword deals Str +3 points of damage, ultimately not that impressive by Angel standards. But with Storyteller and Player imagination (or higher levels of the Background rating), the possibilities can grow.